Note 8 - Stock-based Compensation

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2022

Notes to Financial Statements

Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Text Block]

8.     Stock-Based Compensation

Under our stock-based employee compensation plan, referred to as the Fuel Tech, Inc. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan (Incentive Plan), awards may be granted to participants in the form of Non-Qualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, RSUs, Performance Awards, Bonuses or other forms of share-based or non-share-based awards or combinations thereof. Participants in the Incentive Plan may be our directors, officers, employees, consultants, or advisors (except consultants or advisors in capital-raising transactions) as the directors determine are key to the success of our business. There are a maximum of 5,600,676 shares that may be issued or reserved for awards to participants under the Incentive Plan. As of June 30, 2022, Fuel Tech had 1,809,250 shares available for share-based awards under the Incentive Plan.

We did not record any excess tax benefits within income tax expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021. Given the Company has a full valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets, there were no excess tax benefits to record for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021. In addition, we account for forfeitures of awards based on an estimate of the number of awards expected to be forfeited and adjusting the estimate when it is no longer probable that the employee will fulfill the service condition.

Stock-based compensation is included in selling, general, and administrative costs in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The components of stock-based compensation for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 were as follows:

	Three Months Ended				Six Months Ended
	June 30,				June 30,
	2022		2021		2022		2021
Stock options and restricted stock units, net of forfeitures	$	28	$	20	$	46	$	40
After-tax effect of stock-based compensation	$	28	$	20	$	46	$	40

Stock Options

Stock options granted to employees under the Incentive Plans have a 10-year life and they vest as follows: 50% after the second anniversary of the award date, 25% after the third anniversary, and the final 25% after the fourth anniversary of the award date. Fuel Tech calculates stock compensation expense for employee option awards based on the grant date fair value of the award, less expected annual forfeitures, and recognizes expense on a straight-line basis over the four-year service period of the award. Stock options granted to members of our board of directors vest immediately. Stock compensation for these awards is based on the grant date fair value of the award and is recognized in expense immediately.

Fuel Tech uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the grant date fair value of employee stock options. The principal variable assumptions utilized in valuing options and the methodology for estimating such model inputs include: (1) risk-free interest rate – an estimate based on the yield of zero–coupon treasury securities with a maturity equal to the expected life of the option; (2) expected volatility – an estimate based on the historical volatility of Fuel Tech’s Common Stock for a period equal to the expected life of the option; and (3) expected life of the option – an estimate based on historical experience including the effect of employee terminations.

Stock option activity for Fuel Tech’s Incentive Plans for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was as follows:

						Weighted- Average
	Number			Weighted-		Remaining		Aggregate
	of			Average		Contractual		Intrinsic
	Options			Exercise Price		Term		Value
Outstanding on January 1, 2022		434,500		$	3.05
Granted		—			—
Exercised		—			—
Expired or forfeited		(50,000	)		3.55
Outstanding on June 30, 2022		384,500		$	2.98		2.94	$	24
Exercisable on June 30, 2022		384,500		$	2.98		2.94	$	24

As of June 30, 2022, there was no unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options granted under the Incentive Plans.
 

Restricted Stock Units

RSUs granted to employees vest over time based on continued service (typically vesting over a period between two to four years), and RSUs granted to directors vest after a one year vesting period based on continued service. Such time-vested RSUs are valued at the date of grant using the intrinsic value method based on the closing price of the Common Shares on the grant date. Compensation cost, adjusted for estimated forfeitures, is amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. 

At  June 30, 2022, there is $916 of unrecognized compensation cost related to all non-vested share-based compensation arrangements granted under the Incentive Plan. That cost is expected to be recognized over the remaining requisite service period of 2.80 years.

A summary of restricted stock unit activity for the six months ended June 30, 2022 is as follows:

				Weighted Average
				Grant Date
	Shares			Fair Value
Unvested restricted stock units at January 1, 2022		45,003		$	1.51
Granted		807,048			1.32
Forfeited		—			—
Vested		(45,003	)		1.51
Unvested restricted stock units at June 30, 2022		807,048		$	1.32

The fair value of restricted stock that vested during the six month period ending June 30, 2022 was $68.

Deferred Directors Fees

In addition to the Incentive Plans, Fuel Tech has a Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors (Deferred Plan). Under the terms of the Deferred Plan, Directors can elect to defer Directors’ fees for shares of Fuel Tech Common Stock that are issuable at a future date as defined in the agreement. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 718, Fuel Tech accounts for these awards as equity awards as opposed to liability awards. During the six month periods ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, Fuel Tech recorded no stock-based compensation expense under the Deferred Plan.